


sat on the bridge between happy and scary

by sandyk



Category: Single Parents (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Post series finale, sorry about using the word floozy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:27:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28135392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandyk/pseuds/sandyk
Summary: New developments in Xander Fogerty's life could change Douglas and Poppy's.
Relationships: Poppy Banks/Douglas Fogerty
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	sat on the bridge between happy and scary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ladyjax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/gifts).



> Not mine, no profit garnered. Title from Victoria Williams's merry-go-round. Thanks M for encouragement.

"Douglas," Poppy said with very clear diction. "Why do you have these baby books? I think you can understand why this question is important to me."

Douglas was a human harrumph, the shrug emoji in a too tall, surprisingly sexy body. At least to Poppy. He said, "I do understand. Maybe I'm changing my mind. Not to get you back. Though I would love that. I would. But I have to admit, it's because apparently Xander successfully impregnated some stewardess. I'm going to be a … you know what I'm going to be. It's awful."

"A grandpappy," Miggy said. "Grandad! Grandfather DTF." 

Poppy shooed him away. Douglas said, "Miggy is right, as painful as those three words were. I am going to be the father of a father of a tiny baby."

Poppy said, "A grandfather. You're going to be a grandfather. Are we sure the stewardess isn't Angie? I know it's ridiculous, but I feel the need to check."

"It's not Angie. I wish it was Angie. She's a surprisingly wily woman, and can fend for herself. Xander's flight floozy is not. Her name is RayeLynnne, and however you think it's spelled, it's dumber than that," Douglas said. "I'm trying to be prepared for both of those dum dums to just completely abandon their offspring with me. As the father of the father."

"Don't say floozy," Poppy said. "And I'm sure they won't just abandon the child. Oh my God, the twins are going to be aunts. Have they already started on the crib? At least you know Xander will have a well made crib if they do it."

"I know, their craftsmanship is always meticulous," Douglas said. "I'm preparing for the worst, Poppy. I have to be ready."

"But you're dreading it," Poppy said with a sigh. 

Douglas nodded sadly. 

Poppy drifted away to be sad and also call Angie to double check Angie wasn't somehow pregnant by Xander Fogerty. Surely Angie would have told her, but Poppy was never sure with that insane woman. 

Two weeks later, Poppy was at the school, watching Rory talk to the girl formerly known as Bunny Ears. Bunny Ears had gone completely vegan and refused to wear even a representation of an animal on her person. She'd solemnly given away her Hello Kitty backpack. Rory gestured and No Bunny Ears nodded. "I know this means more work for me, I just know it," Poppy said.

"I'm sure you're right," Douglas said behind her. "That girl is a nightmare."

"You shouldn't be talking about a nine year old like that way," Poppy said. 

"But you agree," Douglas said. "You agree."

Poppy shrugged. "How's your grandchild situation?"

"It's not a situation, it's a reality happening to me," Douglas said. 

"But mostly to Xander and his flight attendant," Poppy said. 

Douglas leaned closer. He was still wearing that cologne that somehow smelled so nice and managed to remind Poppy of Eisenhower. She knew Douglas liked Reagan more, but she didn't care. She decided who she was reminded of by Douglas Fogerty's smells. She was in charge. She shook herself and sighed. Douglas said, "They sent me an ultrasound. Unbelievable. I wasn't going to look at it. I wasn't even interested in those grainy images when it was the twins. Not this time I said."

"But you clearly did," Poppy said, moderately intrigued. "Is this Will's fault?"

"You'd think, you'd think if I caved I would be unduly influenced by Cooper's mush brain. No, it was actually Graham," Douglas said.

"Graham," Poppy said, with resignation.

"They're having a baby," Douglas said. He had a smile on his face when Poppy turned and looked at him. "A baby."

"Well, it's great they're not having a four year old because that would be incredibly painful for that poor floozy," Poppy said. "What's wrong with you, Douglas?"

"That baby is adorable. My son's baby is adorable even in grainy ultrasound picture."

Poppy smiled. "Your grandchild."

"I showed it to the twins to help with their inspiration for the crib they're building and they very nearly laughed at me," Douglas said. "Rightly so. I'm mushier than Will over that tiny little mass of cells."

"Really?" Poppy narrowed her eyes as she glared at him. "You're admitting to mush?"

"I'm going to be the father of the father of a baby. An adorable one," Douglas said fervently. 

"You are," Poppy said. "A grandfather."

"Don't use that word," Douglas said. 

Poppy started seriously thinking about maybe having a baby on her own. Most of her thoughts made her a little miserable. She couldn't be Angie, raising a little one all by herself. She'd never been that skinny but also she had Rory and he was a handful. He was many handfuls. She tried to imagine Rory helping her select the right man to donate but then it devolved into even more nightmarish versions of Scenarios and she had to watch a lot of Frasier to calm down. She was no closer to any resolution even after Roz gave Frasier a deserved talking to. 

She leaned against the bar at the Wineberry. She couldn't ask for advice about this from anyone she knew except maybe Will, and only when he was being extremely cynical. She didn't have time to wait for that blue moon to happen. 

She was contemplating how to engineer a bout of cynicism in Will Cooper when Douglas came in and interrupted her scheming. He said, "They did a 3d ultrasound." He sounded awestruck. Or like he was having another heart attack. 

He shoved the picture at her. It was a cute baby face, definitely a Fogerty. Particularly in the nose. She said, "Whoa. What a cute child."

"It's a baby. Big eyes, mercifully closed here, tiny little flailing hands," Douglas said.

"What do the twins think?" Poppy said it to distract herself. Hopefully to distract Douglas, but mostly herself because Douglas looked happy. Anticipatory happy. Did he really mean it? 

"It's awful, they're mush, too. They think they see a little of themselves in the face. They're looking forward to being aunts," Douglas said, quietly. "Maybe I want to be a grandfather."

"That's great," Poppy said. "You even said the word." She patted the top of the bar. "Good for you."

Douglas nodded a few times and then turned on his heel and left. Poppy thought and paced and worked. 

Douglas came back in, carrying a takeout package. Poppy said, "Did you go to Jerk Alert? Since you left here, you drove out and now you're back from Jerk Alert?"

"You love this chicken," Douglas said. "I wanted to let you know in the big grand gesture that is my brand, as Miggy would say, that I know you love, you love this chicken."

Poppy crossed her arms but she was grinning. "I do love -- that chicken."

"Also, I hope you still love me," Douglas said. "I didn't want children before, and I was honest with you. But now that I'm going to be a grandfather, an actual grandfather, as weird as it sounds, I feel like I do want to be a dad again."

"This would be putting off your empty nest fantasies," Poppy said.

"Those are already gone. I'm going to have to take care of Xander's adorable nightmare. We both know it. I went over to help the twins install the crib, he's completely unprepared. Even worse than Miggy," Douglas said.

"Miggy has us," Poppy said. "I guess Xander can have a little of us, but he's not going on the grid and neither is his kid."

"We can worry about that later. Before, let's get back together and start making us an even more adorable baby. I know that last part is guaranteed because RayeLynnne has those ears but you get what I'm saying," Douglas said. 

"I thought you were joking about those ears but I saw that picture the twins had," Poppy said, to give herself a chance to breathe. "The last thing I want is for you to be miserable because you did this with me." 

"My last thing, too! I hate being miserable," Douglas said. "No matter what Miggy says. Down with misery. I'm sure we'll be irritated and frustrated and curmudgeonly but I bet my bottom dollar we won't be miserable. I do love you."

Poppy said, "I do still love you, too. I believe you. I do. Let's give this a try."

Douglas stooped down and kissed her. Poppy could have sworn she heard trumpets of joy, but that was only Graham who'd snuck in with a toy trumpet. Poppy pulled back and said, "Why is Graham here? Shouldn't he be in school?"

"He snuck into my car. He said he sensed there was love afoot. His words, not mine. I can take him back to school now."

"Good idea. Then come back here, Douglas."

"I will," Douglas said as he gathered Graham up from his dancing parade. Poppy couldn't stop smiling.


End file.
